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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896176">not a thing goes wrong</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/startagainbuttercup/pseuds/startagainbuttercup'>startagainbuttercup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Druck | SKAM (Germany)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, but it's just little pieces of their lives after season 5 is over, cashqueens</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 17:07:35</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,239</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27896176</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/startagainbuttercup/pseuds/startagainbuttercup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-season 5 moments from the Cashqueens life.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>not a thing goes wrong</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This fic is my contribution to Druck Advent Calendar 2020 on <a href="https://druckadventcalendar.tumblr.com">tumblr</a>! Merry Christmas!</p><p>Thank you Lou for beta reading and fighting the war against articles and prepositions for me!</p><p>I know season 5 was kinds hard to watch, at least for me, but we know that no matter what happens, The Cashqueens will always support each other!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>December 6</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>From Josh</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Let's meet tomorrow after school, I'll show you the new place</em>
</p><p> </p><p>"Nora?" Fatou's voice snaps Nora out of her thoughts. They are hanging out in Fatou's room, Nora sitting on the bed, while Falou and Mailin are on the floor.</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?" Nora smiles weakly. It is not that she doesn't listen to Fatou deliberately, it's just she zoned out after Josh's message.<br/>
Yes, they decided to be together, but she still doesn't feel well sometimes, so they're taking it slow. Except, Nora is not really sure what slow means anymore. She and Josh hang out almost every day and sometimes they spend nights at each other's rooms. This Saturday morning, Nora spent cooking breakfast with Josh's mom, looking at Josh's unbearably cute face and listening to him passionately talking about music. Cooking breakfast with your boyfriend's mom definitely doesn't look like "slow".</p><p>It's not that Nora is not feeling happy about where they are right now, but there is always this fear. Fear that she wakes up tomorrow and it will be gone. Fear that she will hurt them both again. Sometimes she thinks maybe they shouldn't take it slow. Maybe they should get as much as they can out of it. While they can. She makes a mental note to discuss it with her therapist.</p><p>"Hey, are you okay?" Fatou asks. Her voice is soft, and Nora thinks she always sounds like she's singing a song.</p><p>"Yeah, I'm fine," Nora smiles, and she doesn't lie, this time. She really is fine. She quickly types "Okay &lt;3" in response to Josh and puts her phone on the bed, screen down. "Sorry, I was distracted."</p><p>"I asked, what are your plans for Christmas?" Fatou says.</p><p>"Uhm. I don't know yet," Nora answers. She doesn't really remember when the last time she had a proper Christmas mood was. Kiki and Zoe have preferred celebrating with their respective friends for a few years now. And it's not like their mom is able to do something on Christmas usually anyway. Not this year, though. Maybe this Christmas is gonna be different. "Probably will cook something with my mom and Zoe. Kiki wanted to come too, but her friends decided to have a trip to Trier for Christmas so she won't make it home. What are you going to do, guys?"</p><p>"Oh, nothing unusual. A gift exchange and dinner with my family. A zoom call with extended family," Fatou says.</p><p>"Same," Mailin mumbles from the floor.</p><p>"You don't sound too excited," Nora laughs.</p><p>"Yeah, you see, my family loves Christmas and traditions, but all I can think about is how capitalism spoiled everything. Now Christmas is just another way for corporations to earn money."</p><p>"That's depressing," Fatou says quietly. Nora can't help but smile on the way she sounds a little like a child who was told that Santa isn't real. Nora always struggled with showing her emotions and she finds it kind of relaxing, having a friend who has everything written on her face.</p><p>"What if we meet up in the morning on Christmas Eve and have a little Cashqueens celebration?" Fatou asks, smile lighting up her face at the exciting thought.</p><p>"I don't mind," Mailin smiles, "Let's ask Ava."</p><p> </p><p>They record a voice message for Ava, laughing and interrupting each other.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>December 11</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Scrolling through Kieu My's pictures is not the activity Fatou wanted to occupy her evening with, but after she's gotten a string broken on her guitar, there was nothing else to do anyway.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>CA$HQU€€NS</strong>
</p><p>
  <em><strong>Fatou:</strong> Girls, what are your plans for tonight?</em><br/>
<em><strong>Fatou:</strong> We could hang out at my room, have some movie night?</em><br/>
<em><strong>Ava:</strong> Sorry, a lot of homework</em><br/>
<em><strong>Nora:</strong> I'm spending time with Josh</em><br/>
<em><strong>Mailin:</strong> can't, family plans</em><br/>
<em><strong>Fatou:</strong> Oh</em><br/>
<em><strong>Fatou:</strong> good Friday everyone!</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Fatou sighs. She doesn't really want to be alone this evening. She spends some time thinking about Christmas gifts for the girls, deciding on a sketchbook for Nora, a houseplant for Ava and homemade scarf for Mailin, when a new message pops up.</p><p><br/>
<strong>From Mailin</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Hey, everything okay?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Fatou smiles. There is something about Mailin, like she can sense when something is wrong. Maybe she can read thoughts, Fatou thinks, and chuckles at the idea. It would be so cool if people had super powers.</p><p><br/>
<strong>To Mailin</strong>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes, everything is good</em><br/>
<em>I just got a string on my guitar broken</em><br/>
<em>I'm just bored</em>
</p><p> </p><p>So, Fatou naturally finds herself staring at Kieu My's picture five minutes later. It's the photo from her phone camera, that she took that morning after the sleepover at Nora's. Kieu My has a very silly smile in this picture, donat crumbs in the corner of her mouth, half a slice of pizza in her hand. She is so real and warm there, so unlike her instagram page.</p><p>Fatou sighs, throws herself on the bed, face to the pillow, and groans. It was supposed to help, knowing that Kieu My has a boyfriend, but it didn't, and Fatou's crush only became stronger after she had a few actual conversations with her, knew her in real life.</p><p>Maybe they could at least be friends?</p><p>She turns on her back, opens the contacts in her phone, finds Kieu My there. She types and erases the message a few times.</p><p>
  <em>Hi! It's Fatou! Nora gave me your number, so I decided-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hi Kieu My, it's Fatou. Do you want to hang out sometimes-</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hi, do you want to have some pizza? It's Fa-</em>
</p><p>Eventually she sends "Hi, it's Fatou 🐸 What are your plans for Christmas?" Answer comes back immediately.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>From Kieu My</strong><br/>
<em>Hey :) Don't know yet</em><br/>
<em>Yours?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>The doorbell rings and Fatou comes back to Earth. She opens the door and her jaw drops to the floor.</p><p>"Girls!" she exclaims.</p><p>Nora, Mailin and Ava are standing here with snacks, smiling widely, their cheeks are pink from the cold outside.</p><p>"What about your plans?"</p><p>"Homework can be done later," Ava says.</p><p>"Josh can spend one Friday evening without me," Nora adds.</p><p>"Let's say, something told me that you wouldn't mind our company today," Mailin says and winks.</p><p>Fatou mouths a silent <em>thank you</em>, when Nora and Ava don't look. Mailin smiles reassuringly.</p><p> </p><p>They spend an hour choosing which movie to watch, laughing and eating snacks.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <em> <strong>December 19</strong> </em>
</p><p> </p><p>If Mailin is being honest, she doesn't like Christmas. She hates when her family goes Christmas shopping and buys something useless, and she doesn't like plastic decorations, and people cutting down millions of trees every year makes her feel nauseous.</p><p>So, the fact that Mailin has not one, but three obnoxious Christmas sweaters in her closet has absolutely nothing to do with all of this. She likes sweaters, okay? And the feeling of excitement in her chest when she thinks about the Cashqueens' Christmas celebration is here only because she loves to spend time with her friends (and will get a chance to wear one of these sweaters). Right?</p><p>She opens the Cashqueens chat and scrolls through the last messages.</p><p> </p><p>
  <strong>CA$HQU€€NS</strong>
</p><p>
  <em> <strong>Yesterday</strong> </em>
</p><p><em><strong>Nora:</strong> Okay, so we can meet at my place on the 24th</em><br/>
<em><strong>Ava:</strong> Great!</em><br/>
<em><strong>Nora:</strong> Is it okay if Zoe and Kieu My join? They were going to meet and it will be weird if we celebrate and they hang out in Zoe's room</em><br/>
<em><strong>Mailin:</strong> I thought it was cashqueens only</em><br/>
<em><strong>Mailin:</strong> but yeah, you're right</em><br/>
<em><strong>Mailin: </strong>ask them</em><br/>
<em><strong>Ava:</strong> I don't mind</em><br/>
<em><strong>Nora:</strong> Fatou?</em><br/>
<em><strong>Fatou:</strong> Yeah, of course</em><br/>
<em><strong>Fatou: </strong>I'll bring some stuff for mulled wine </em>🍷</p><p> </p><p>Mailin smiles and calls her grandma.</p><p>"I need your Christmas cookies recipe!" She says.</p><p>"I thought you were vegan," her grandma says on the other side of the phone call.</p><p>"That's true. I'll take your recipe and change some ingredients so it will be vegan."</p><p>"But that won't be <em>my</em> recipe anymore, dear. Why don't you find a vegan recipe on the internet?"</p><p>"I tried other recipes last year and they were all wrong. Me and my girls are having a mini Christmas party and I wanted to bake something for them."</p><p>That's how Mailin finds herself in the kitchen two hours later, waiting for her cookies to finish being baked. She's not very good at baking, so she wants to try it before the "party". She doesn't ask herself why she wants to bake something specifically Christmas themed.</p><p>Her phone starts to ring and Ava's face pops up on the screen.</p><p>"Hey, na? What are you doing?" Ava asks when Mailin answers.</p><p>"Uhmmm. Nothing," Mailin says, focusing her gaze on the cookies.</p><p>"Great! I have an idea for our committee. We should have a Christmas live on our instagram. Say Merry Christmas to our followers and present a limited Christmas edition of our merch! What do you think?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure" Mailin says. She really thinks it is a great idea, Ava always has the best ideas. She is like a machine that generates brilliant ideas every week. Mailin wishes she had half of Ava's brains.</p><p>"You don't sound too excited" Ava says doubtfully.</p><p>"No, I really think it's good. Another instagram live, huh? I think they're cursed."</p><p>"We'll make sure the connection is fine this time and check that Nora sends the right white square to the printing shop," Ava laughs.</p><p>"Yeah, about Nora," Mailin says. "Do you think we were too hard on her last time?"</p><p>"No" Ava answers after a long pause. "I think we were fair. If you have problems, you tell your friends about it, so they cover for you."</p><p>"Yeah, right. So, do you have any specific ideas for the livestream?"</p><p> </p><p>They discuss livestream ideas for the next half an hour, and of course, the cookies are burnt in the end. It's nothing though, Mailin has time to try again.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <strong> <em>December 24</em> </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em><strong>_huelk:</strong> how is school and family stuff going?</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Ava sighs and locks her phone. It is not that she didn't grow to like talking to mysterious _huelk, but she already said she is not interested and this person apparently is not used to giving up. Maybe they're lonely and have no one to talk to, but that's not Ava's problem, right?</p><p>Besides, her school and family problems are not something she wants to discuss right now. Her parents are on the edge of divorce and it becomes harder and harder to be at home.</p><p>"Hey, we're ready to go live" Mailin says and Ava focuses on the important things.</p><p>After several discussions they decided to go with something simple, they ordered ten Christmas themed hoodies with the classic white square, of course. Then they started a lottery on their instagram page. Fortunately, the amount of sign ups was more than 10, otherwise that would have been embarrassing. Failure. Ava doesn't tolerate failures. She's going to succeed.</p><p>"3... 2... 1..." Nora says.</p><p>"Hello and Merry Christmas from Abi 2022 committee!" the Cashqueens say at the same time.</p><p>They show the Christmas themed merch, Ava and Mailin read the list of lottery winners. Luckily, the connection is stable enough to finish the live without problems.</p><p>Later, after the gift exchange, Ava and Fatou are drinking mulled wine, Nora and Mailin are drinking Club-Mate.</p><p>"I want to say something," Ava stands up. "This year was hard, but there are things that made it a little bit easier. I'm happy we have our Abi committee, but I'm also happy that you're my friends. You girls are the most creative, cool and amazing people I've ever met. Merry Christmas!"</p><p>Fatou, Mailin and Nora yell <em>"To Cashqueens!", "To Ava!" </em>and <em>"Merry Christmas!"</em> at the same time.</p><p>They're interrupted by Zoe and Kieu My. Kieu My hugs Fatou and they both smile wide. Ava watches the interaction with shock in her eyes until she feels Mailin slightly nudging her with her elbow. Ava forces her face to look somewhat normal while everybody is busy with mutual hugging.</p><p>Zoe and Kieu My hug Ava too. It is not the first time, but it still feels so strange to have them being friendly and nice, considering that their group of friends used to bully Ava a few years ago. Ava hugs back carefully, but can't quite relax. Maybe next time.</p><p>"Nora, I think that girl said she can come tomorrow so we can interview her," Ava hears Zoe saying.</p><p>"Oh, right! How is the flatmate search going on?" Fatou asks.</p><p>"Not so good," Nora says. "I think we have like ten candidates but they're all either weird or don't have the amount of money we need to pay for this apartment."</p><p>Suddenly, Ava has an idea.</p><p>"How much do you pay?" She asks. "What if I move in?"</p><p>The silent pause is too long for Ava's liking.</p><p>"You can interview me too," she starts, "I can provide you with a list of facts why living with me is better than living with someone you don't know. First, we go to the same school..."</p><p>"Oh, no, Ava, that would be perfect!" Nora interrupts her.</p><p>"Yes, I guess," Zoe adds. She is smiling and looks very convincing. Ava relaxes a little.</p><p>"I need to talk to my parents first, but I think it'll be okay with them," she says.</p><p>"Oh my God, you're gonna be flatmates!" Fatou says, "It's so cool!"</p><p> </p><p>They spend the morning eating Mailin's cookies, laughing at her obnoxious Christmas sweater, and making plans for 2021. Somehow Ava feels that some exciting events are going to happen soon.</p>
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